Aussie gardener defeats 'major pest' and lawn killer: 'Crawling with them'
Australia is home to thousands of invasive species, many of which thrive here in incredible numbers after being imported from the northern hemisphere. While many of these threats arrived shortly after European colonisation, some invaded as recently as the 2020s.
Such was the case for the fall armyworm, which is now regarded as of the nation's most destructive agricultural pests. It thrives in Australia due to its strong migratory ability — with moths capable of travelling hundreds of kilometres on prevailing winds — and its ability to feed on a wide range of crops and weeds, giving it a continuous food supply.
This week a Western Australian gardener from Perth shared her experience removing fall armyworm from her yard. She said her lawn "died" in just a "few days" after the pests arrived, but she didn't notice because she had been working late.
She then decided to use the soapy water trick (spraying or dunking affected plants with a mild soap solution to suffocate or disrupt the pests' protective outer coating, leading to their dehydration and death) and quickly noticed the "lawn was crawling with the grubs".
"I was like 'Wow, look at them all' — never seen that many grubs before," she recalled. "Treatment one with soapy water done. Tomorrow I'll do another dose," she said, adding that she also used "weed and feed" to "help in the aftermath".
Speaking to Yahoo News, a spokesperson for the state's Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) said fall armyworm is actually now found throughout large parts of the state.
They warned it also can survive harsh conditions, across all seasons. "Fall armyworm is established year-round in the northern part of Western Australia, as far south as Carnarvon," the spokesperson said. "It is not as well established in the south where it tends to die out in winter."
The pest is known to devastate crops by feeding on leaves, stems and reproductive structures. The larvae cause the most damage, chewing through plants and leaving them weakened, stunted or completely destroyed.
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"In WA, sweet corn and maize crops are mainly impacted, while livestock feed crops can also be affected," the DPIRD spokesperson said. "Growers in the north are working with local agronomists and researchers on solutions that are cost effective and sustainable."
DPIRD encouraged residents to share photos if they believe they might have a fall armyworm infestation in their yards. "Fall armyworm is easily confused with many other caterpillar pests so knowing your pest can help determine what approach will work best in your situation," the spokesperson said.
"Homeowners and gardeners who suspect they have fall armyworm are encouraged to confirm pest identification by sending a report to DPIRD via its MyPestGuide Reporter app or to the Pest and Disease Information Service."
Fall armyworm thrives in Australia due to the country's warm climate, which allows it to reproduce year-round in northern regions. The pest has a short life cycle — sometimes as little as 30 days in optimal conditions — enabling rapid population explosions.
Unlike in its native range, where natural predators like parasitoid wasps, predatory beetles, and viruses help keep numbers in check, Australia lacks many of these specialised biological controls.
While some native predators, such as birds, spiders, and generalist insects, may attack fall armyworm, they are not effective enough to significantly reduce its populations.
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